MEIR ACHUN

MEIR ACHUN

He was the author of four pieces of writing in Yiddish: (1) Hapaamon, der glekel, oyf tsu veken unzere brider lavoydes haboyre borukh hu (The bell, to awaken our brothers, blessed is the name of the creator) (first printing: Vilna, 1895), 72 pp., later reprinted several times by Rozenkrants and Shriftzetser with supplements from Ben-Tsiyon Alfes, a kind of edifying book in Germanized Yiddish; (2) Siper mishene bale tshuve, a fraye iber zettsung fun frantseyzeshin izraelitisher zhurnal (A tale of two penitents, a free translation of a Judeo-French journal), “a reproof to study as necessary to instruct children in faith and fear of God, history has come to pass correctly and very significantly, for it is not small and thus very beautiful” (Vilna, 1896), 80 pp.—the story of a Jewish lad who became a Catholic priest and later returned to Judaism; (3) Anna grigoreyevna, oder khane reb grunem’s tokhter (Anna Grigoreyevna, or Reb Grunem’s daughter), “this is a proper story, not an anecdote, within which is much edifying material, as one needs and not too much, and what God, blessed be He, does is right, and one must not say it is bad” (Vilna, 1896), 72 pp., a life story with seven main heroes, highly folksy, though written in Germanized Yiddish with numerous Russianisms mixed in; (4) Tsveye shveger un holkhe batom (Two brothers-in-law and the end of the road), “this is a proper story that transpired, one might say, as if it were masked—it is that true” (Vilna, 1900), 200 pp., a novel of life during the era of military recruitment.  This is all that is known about the writer.